Modern computing device design strives to reduce the electrical power consumed by individual computing components, and subsystems. Reduced power consumption, in turn allows the computing device to operate at reduced temperatures and higher speeds. Moreover, it allows the computing device to operate for longer periods of time using battery or similar energy sources. This in turn, allows the devices to be more portable.
Known power reduction techniques include shutting down components and subsystems, and reducing operating frequencies of clocked circuits during times of no operation. Computer graphics adapters, for example, are shut down or operated at reduced frequency when not in use.
These conventional power management techniques, however, are mainly focused on a usage model that requires portions of the computing device to become fully idle for periods of time.
Newer computer operating systems, such as Microsoft's next generation desktop operating system (VISTA), are expected to extensively use 3D rendering as a normal part of the creation of a standard desktop view. In addition, it is expected that 2D and 3D rendering in the form of animations will run continuously even without user interaction.
In the presence of continuous rendering, the utility of existing power techniques is reduced drastically. Specifically, the continuous rendering may prevent the graphics processor from ever being idle, thus inhibiting the majority of the current power management features.
Clearly then, continuous high speed rendering in the absence of user interaction is wasteful. Accordingly, improved power management methods and components are desirable.